The Forest Park Forever Blog

As we begin another year with Forest Park serving as one of the region’s greatest civic treasures, the Forest Park Forever (FPF) team is proud to look back on 2018 and share some of the highlights from an exciting 12 months.

Our members make the work we do possible. Thanks to their generosity, we are able to take care of Forest Park alongside our City partners all year long – from planting trees and flowers to repaving roads and repairing paths. As a way of showing our appreciation for their critical support, we host our annual Fall Family FunFest as a way of saying "thank you."

After being cancelled due to weather in 2016, we were excited to see the Great Forest Park Balloon Glow & Race return to Forest Park this past weekend. Large crowds gathered both Friday night and Saturday to see dozens of hot air balloons lit up and take off.

On Sunday, August 27 nearly 850 runners of all ages came out for the only run in Forest Park whose proceeds directly benefit the Park. Our seventh annual I Love Forest Park 5K & Kids Fun Run had its highest attendance yet and raised nearly $27,000 to support necessary Park maintenance.

Saucer magnolias bloomed a bit early this year thanks to several weeks of warm weather in late February and early March. With a cold snap expected this weekend, these beautiful blooms may not last much longer.

The 442s' Adam Maness answered a few questions about the band's residency in Forest Park and the new work they created as a result of it. Continue reading for the full interview and a slideshow of photos from the group's public concert where they debuted "The Forest Park Forever Suite."

Over the course of the month of September, Madeline's installation took over a section of Forest Park's northeast corner. Her project, titled Framing the Land, took a hands-on approach to spotlighting an often overlooked section of the Park. Madeline's installation consisted of simple metal frames covered in reflective tape that Park visitors were invited to pick up and place somewhere in the landscape. This simple act served as a way of allowing visitors to experience and see this area more clearly by forcing them to really look at the space around them.

We were excited to follow up with Madeline now that her residency has come to a close and she has reflected on her time in Forest Park.

On Sunday, August 28 over 800 runners of all ages came out for the only run in Forest Park that directly benefits the Park. Our sixth annual I Love Forest Park 5K & Kids Fun Run shattered last year's attendance record and raised over $26,000 to support our mission to restore, maintain and sustain Forest Park.